Fancy Food Show – livingmaxwell: a guide to organic food & drinkhttp://livingmaxwell.com
Mon, 12 Feb 2018 16:32:41 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4Top 5 Organic Food Products from Fancy Food Show 2017http://livingmaxwell.com/top-5-organic-food-products-fancy-food-show-2017
http://livingmaxwell.com/top-5-organic-food-products-fancy-food-show-2017#respondWed, 28 Jun 2017 22:10:34 +0000http://livingmaxwell.com/?p=11741For the last few days here in New York City, I was attending the Fancy Food Show, one of my absolute favorite trade shows of the year. What makes this show different from many of the others that I attend is the number of international exhibitors. This gives me the rare opportunity to discover organic […]

]]>For the last few days here in New York City, I was attending the Fancy Food Show, one of my absolute favorite trade shows of the year.

What makes this show different from many of the others that I attend is the number of international exhibitors. This gives me the rare opportunity to discover organic products from abroad that I otherwise would not get to see. And two of my picks below are produced from countries outside of the U.S.

(If you’d like to get my full recap and analysis of Fancy Food Show, be sure to sign up for a free trial of Organic Insider – no cost, no obligation, no credit card required – and I will send it right over.)

Here are my Top 5 Organic Food Products from Fancy Food Show 2017.

HAVEN’S KITCHEN KALE WALNUT PESTO

Nearly every time I go to the refrigerated section of the supermarket, I go looking for an organic pesto sauce, knowing full well that I probably won’t find one. For some inexplicable reason, they barely exist.

So, when I saw that Haven’s Kitchen had introduced a kale walnut pesto – and an amazing one at that – I was beyond thrilled. Not only is it flavored perfectly and has great texture, but this product fills a massive void in the market.

Alison Cayne, owner of New York City’s Haven’s Kitchen and author of The Haven’s Kitchen Cooking School, has also rolled out a few other fantastic sauces, including an herby chimichurri and a red pepper romesco.

All of the ingredients are organic and Non-GMO, and organic certification will be coming soon. The product is currently available at Haven’s Kitchen and will soon be rolled out at Gourmet Garage in NYC and other retailers after that.

This kale walnut pesto has massive potential.

KOURELLAS GRILL & EAT APPETIZER CHEESE

Hands down, this Kourellas cheese was the single best tasting organic product at the entire show, and I am not even a big dairy person. I was literally shaking my head in disbelief over how good it was.

Kourellas is Greece’s first organic dairy and has been in existence since 1996, well before organic standards in Europe had been formalized.

This semi-hard cheese, made from cow, sheep and goat’s milk, is specifically for grilling and keeps its shape when heated. The combination of all three cheeses is responsible for its unique flavor.

Kourellas is sold throughout Europe, and here in the U.S., it is sold nationally at Whole Foods.

While I have yet to confirm this, I have no doubt that this was handpicked by Cathy Strange, the global cheese buyer at Whole Foods, who is considered one of the foremost authorities in the world on cheese.

She picked an absolute winner with this one.

OLIVIE DESERT OLIVE TREE PEARLS

Olivie has been producing olive oil in Morocco for 125 years and may very well change the way you look at this category.

The company claims that a teaspoon of its desert olive tree pearls contains the same quantity of the antioxidant hydroxytyrosol as 10 liters (2.6 gallons) of olive oil. (I have been told that lab results are expected to be posted on its website within the next week, but lab results about how its olive oil has 30x more polyphenols than competitive olive oils are posted here.)

Hydroxytyrosol is the key anti-inflammatory compound in olives, and studies have shown that it has serious benefits for cardiovascular health and arthritis.

It may be very hard to wrap your head around these claims but when you learn how this product is produced, it definitely seems plausible.

The company is taking olive leaves, whole olives and olive tree bark, mixing them all together, and pressing it through a machine. What comes out are the pearls, shown above in the white and red tray, and they are preserved in olive oil made from the same olives. The taste of the pearls is somewhat earthy and a little strong but did not have an offensive taste.

Why is Olivie’s olive tree so potent versus other olive trees?

The company says that the harsh conditions in the Moroccan desert, lack of water and rocky soil all force the trees to operate in a very stressful condition. As such, a panic phenomenon occurs in the trees and the instinct of survival kicks in, which results in much greater production of polyphenols (antioxidants).

The U.S. distributor of Olivie is just starting to break into the American market and said that its products are not yet available in stores throughout the country. However, these pearls will be available on its website for consumers by Friday for approximately $50.

I spent an inordinate amount of time at the company’s booth during Fancy Food learning about this fascinating product, and it is unlike anything I have ever seen in the organic olive oil space. And having tried my fair share of these ultra-healthy products, I get the sense that when these pearls are in my mouth, they are truly something special.

THE REPUBLIC OF TEA TURMERIC SINGLE SIPS

Behind the scenes to my friends in the industry, I have been banging the drums about turmeric powder and how this is going to be a breakout product. I am so convinced that it will take off that I named it one of my Top 5 Organic Food Trends of 2017.

My premise was based on a few things. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory powerhouse, but market use of this ingredient is still relatively low.

Also, why is it that green powder is everywhere but comparatively speaking, turmeric powder is almost nowhere? This makes no sense to me and has to change.

The Republic of Tea, one of the best tea companies in the organic industry, seemed to have a similar conviction and just rolled out single packets of turmeric powder.

These single sips are great to take with you on the-go, and the company also added other ingredients to the packet such as ginger, cinnamon and black pepper, which helps to maximize absorption.

At Fancy Food each day, I filled my water bottles with this powder and can see myself using it all of the time.

The company said that its turmeric single sips will ship on August 1st and will be available at natural and specialty retailers nationwide.

TRIMONA GRASS-FED RASPBERRY COCONUT YOGURT

As Trimona points out on its website, have you ever wondered why the bacteria used to make yogurt is called Lactobacillus bulgaricus?

In 1905, a Bulgarian scientist, Dr. Stamen Grigorov, discovered Lactobacillus bulgaricus, the bacteria essential to the yogurt fermentation process. Soon thereafter, Dr. Ilya Mechnikov showed that fermented milk was responsible for the hardiness of the Bulgarian people, won a Nobel Prize for his work, and spent his days touting Bulgarian yogurt as a medicine throughout Europe.

Thanks to Trimona, we can now consume Bulgarian yogurt ourselves, but the company has done something very interesting with this product. Aside from adding raspberry, which isn’t novel, it has added coconut cream, which is novel.

Normally, you either have a full-on dairy yogurt, or you have a plant-based yogurt, such as coconut or cashew. Combining coconut cream to the dairy gave it a rich and creamy texture, making it a unique offering in the ever-evolving and competitive yogurt space.

Currently, the company’s raspberry coconut yogurt, which is grass-fed and Non-GMO Project verified, is available at Whole Foods, Wegmans and specialty stores, all in the northeast.

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Do you want to read even more about the Fancy Food show?

Just sign up for a free trial of Organic Insider – no cost, no obligation, no credit card required – and I will send my full recap and analysis of the show right over to you.

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]]>http://livingmaxwell.com/top-5-organic-food-products-fancy-food-show-2017/feed0Top 5 Organic Food Products from Fancy Food Show 2016http://livingmaxwell.com/top-5-organic-food-products-of-fancy-food-show-2016
http://livingmaxwell.com/top-5-organic-food-products-of-fancy-food-show-2016#respondMon, 04 Jul 2016 17:32:30 +0000https://livingmaxwell.com/?p=11268(To follow my day-to-day organic food adventures, please be sure to add me on Snapchat: maxorganic) Last week in New York City, I attended the Fancy Food Show 2016, one of the best food shows of the year. While it is not an organic food show per se, there is an increasing amount of organic […]

Last week in New York City, I attended the Fancy Food Show 2016, one of the best food shows of the year.

While it is not an organic food show per se, there is an increasing amount of organic vendors and I would estimate that about 15-20% of the booths there do offer some type of organic product.

As I do each year, I name my Top 5 Organic Food Products from Fancy Food Show, and I now do it “live” from the show on Periscope.

In the video above, you’ll see these picks, and it was a very difficult endeavor to narrow it down to 5. Not only were the quality and innovation of the products impressive, but I am seeing an increasing emphasis on the “food as medicine” philosophy from companies. The products are becoming healthier and contain real medicinal properties.

The other thing of note is the sheer number of companies exhibiting at Fancy Food Show. This year, there were 2,600 vendors from 50 countries around the world, and you absolutely get a strong sense of the international feel by walking the show floor.

Not only do most countries have their own dedicated sections, but specific U.S. states do as well. Having booths organized by geography makes for a more interesting show experience, and it gives you a stronger sense from where the most innovation is coming.

Going to the Fancy Food Show is a definite highlight of the year for me, and I hope you enjoy these organic picks!

]]>http://livingmaxwell.com/top-5-organic-food-products-of-fancy-food-show-2016/feed0The Living Maxwell Show on Periscope – Top 5 Organic Food Products from the Fancy Food Show 2015http://livingmaxwell.com/top-5-organic-food-products-from-the-fancy-food-show-2015
http://livingmaxwell.com/top-5-organic-food-products-from-the-fancy-food-show-2015#commentsThu, 02 Jul 2015 16:04:27 +0000https://livingmaxwell.com/?p=10807On Monday’s Living Maxwell Show on Periscope, I did something that I had never done before — I announced my Top 5 Organic Product Awards “live” from the Fancy Food Show 2015 in NYC. This was the first time that I have ever announced my Top 5 Awards “live” from this or any other trade […]

]]>http://livingmaxwell.com/top-5-organic-food-products-from-the-fancy-food-show-2015/feed4Top 5 Organic Products from Fancy Food Show 2014http://livingmaxwell.com/top-5-organic-products-fancy-food-show-2014
http://livingmaxwell.com/top-5-organic-products-fancy-food-show-2014#commentsMon, 07 Jul 2014 00:41:26 +0000https://livingmaxwell.com/?p=10329Last week, the Fancy Food Show 2014 recently took place here in NYC and as usual, I had a fantastic time. I can’t think of a more fun day than to see all of the new products, meet new people, and catch up with friends in the industry. Even though I heard a lot of grumbling […]

]]>Last week, the Fancy Food Show 2014 recently took place here in NYC and as usual, I had a fantastic time.

I can’t think of a more fun day than to see all of the new products, meet new people, and catch up with friends in the industry.

Even though I heard a lot of grumbling that there was nothing new at this show, I couldn’t disagree more. You just have to be insanely curious and willing to go to every single booth to find the gems.

Here are my Top 5 Organic Products from Fancy Food Show 2014.

LOTUS FOODS – FORBIDDEN RICE RAMEN

Lotus Foods has been on my radar screen for a while now, and I absolutely love what the company is doing, especially with its work in sustainability.

If there was one food at the show that I literally could not stop eating, it was Lotus Foods’ Forbidden Rice Ramen Noodles. Made from heirloom black rice instead of wheat, these Ramen noodles were light and delicious, and had great texture.

Without question, this is something that I will be making all of the time at home and they are super-easy to prepare.

]]>http://livingmaxwell.com/top-5-organic-products-fancy-food-show-2014/feed4gimMe Organic Seaweed Snacks – I Am Obsessed!!!!!http://livingmaxwell.com/gimme-organic-seaweed-snacks-annie-chun
http://livingmaxwell.com/gimme-organic-seaweed-snacks-annie-chun#commentsSat, 10 Aug 2013 21:50:53 +0000https://livingmaxwell.com/?p=9817If you know me or have read my bio, you might be aware that I have had some addiction issues in the past. Fortunately, those problems are behind me, and I have stayed on a positive path for many years now. One of the things that I attribute to my being to able avoid negative […]

If you know me or have read my bio, you might be aware that I have had some addiction issues in the past.

Fortunately, those problems are behind me, and I have stayed on a positive path for many years now. One of the things that I attribute to my being to able avoid negative influences in my life has been my will power.

Believing that I had developed a very strong ability to say “no”, whether it be to certain vices or to refined sugar, this notion was completely shattered as soon as I came across gimMe organic seaweed snacks.

Since then, I have become shamelessly addicted and display zero ability to consume gimMe seaweed snacks with any degree of moderation. My self-control with this organic product has gone completely out of the window.

Here’s an example. Whenever I review a product, I either learn about it at the market or through a friend, see it at a trade show, or a company has emailed me information about it. Generally speaking, I’ll try it a few times, do my homework on the product, take some pictures, and then write about the food or drink on my blog.

With gimMe, it has been a completely different story.

Initially, I must have purchased the product at least 10 times, then had the company send me some samples, then met the founder at the 2013 Fancy Food Show and got more samples to take home, and then bought the product at least another 20 times before sitting down to write this post.

Each time I brought gimMe organic seaweed snacks home (oftentimes, they didn’t even last until I got home), I just couldn’t wait to photograph them before digging in. It was always “Oh, I’ll just buy more tomorrow and do it then.”

These seaweed snacks are crunchy, satiating, and perfectly flavored. And I just can’t get enough of them.

So much for my iron will power.

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gimMe organic seaweed snacks come in a Sea Salt flavor but my favorite is the Sesame, which contains seaweed, toasted sesame oil, sunflower oil, and sea salt. It is non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan.

This organic product can be purchased at retailers nationwide and online by clicking HERE.

With company founder and serial food entrepreneur Annie Chun and her daughter, Mia, for whom the product is named after. This is at the Food Fete media event during the 2013 Fancy Food Show in NYC.

]]>http://livingmaxwell.com/gimme-organic-seaweed-snacks-annie-chun/feed11Top 5 Organic Products from the 2013 Fancy Food Show in NYChttp://livingmaxwell.com/top-5-organic-products-2013-fancy-food-show-nyc
http://livingmaxwell.com/top-5-organic-products-2013-fancy-food-show-nyc#commentsSun, 14 Jul 2013 20:35:32 +0000https://livingmaxwell.com/?p=9786Last week, I attended the 2013 Fancy Food Show in NYC, North America’s largest specialty food and beverage event. With 180,000 products from 2,400 vendors, there was a tremendous amount to see. Here are my Top 5 Organic Products from the 2013 Fancy Food Show, and look for them at a supermarket near you sometime this […]

]]>Last week, I attended the 2013 Fancy Food Show in NYC, North America’s largest specialty food and beverage event. With 180,000 products from 2,400 vendors, there was a tremendous amount to see.

Here are my Top 5 Organic Products from the 2013 Fancy Food Show, and look for them at a supermarket near you sometime this year.

BBERRI BLUEBERRY-MAQUI BERRY JUICE

Maqui berry powder is starting to gain significant traction in the marketplace because of its very high level of antioxidants.

Seeking to capitalize on the growing interest of this powerful berry from South America, a Chilean company called Bberri has introduced an organic blueberry-maqui berry juice, a product that I have never seen before.

Offering a very smooth and refreshing taste, this juice contains no added sugar and is from made nothing but blueberries and maqui berries.

IL MOLINO OLIVE OIL

Some of the best organic products that I have ever tasted come from Italy because the soil there is so rich and fertile.

Maybe that is why the olive oil from Il Molino completely blew me away. It was fresh, aromatic, and truly intoxicating.

However, I am hardly the only one impressed by Il Molino. The company has won a slew of awards including Gold Award Winner at the 2013 New York International Olive Oil Competition.

LE PAIN DES FLEURS – CHESTNUT CRISPBREAD

If you’re looking for a gluten-free cracker with great crunch and excellent flavor, you should keep an eye out for the organic chestnut crispbread by Le Pain des Fleurs.

Made made with nothing more than organic rice flour, organic chestnut flour (30%), and sea salt, this product is a winner.

Produced in France, this crispbread’s non-GMO version is currently available via Amazon.

The new Salted Caramel & Chocolate is by far their best flavor yet. And it’s not even close.

Go beg the buyer at your local organic market to start carrying it. I’ll be speaking to mine tomorrow.

EK CHOK SOFT CHOCOLATE WITH VANILLA

Brought to you by the same people who produce the fantastic Artisana nut butters, Ek Chok chocolate with vanilla is sure to capture a lot of attention.

The super-pure cacao from Venezuela and the delicious infusion of vanilla, a spice that I love, give it great taste. Additionally, the texture is very unique. It is a cross between a chocolate spread and a chocolate bar. A+ for innovation.

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Want to stay up-to-date on the newest and most interesting organic food products?

]]>http://livingmaxwell.com/top-5-organic-products-2013-fancy-food-show-nyc/feed9Fancy Food Show 2010 – Ayala’s Herbal Waterhttp://livingmaxwell.com/fancy-food-show-2010-ayalas-herbal-water
http://livingmaxwell.com/fancy-food-show-2010-ayalas-herbal-water#commentsMon, 26 Jul 2010 20:49:46 +0000https://livingmaxwell.com/?p=1483As I wrote about in a recent blog post, Ayala’s Herbal Water was one of my favorite products that I saw at the 2010 Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. In this video, I interview the founder of the company, Dr. Ayala, and she talks about how she came […]

In this video, I interview the founder of the company, Dr. Ayala, and she talks about how she came up with the product and why.

Ayala’s Herbal Water is leading a trend that I believe will only continue to grow — organic beverages made with unique, not-too-often used herbs and spices. I am currently seeing it in NYC (a video-blog post on this is forthcoming) and we see it here with Ayala’s Herbal Water.

]]>http://livingmaxwell.com/fancy-food-show-2010-ayalas-herbal-water/feed1Organic NYC – A Recap of the 2010 Fancy Food Showhttp://livingmaxwell.com/organic-nyc-a-recap-of-the-2010-fancy-food-show
http://livingmaxwell.com/organic-nyc-a-recap-of-the-2010-fancy-food-show#commentsWed, 07 Jul 2010 03:00:10 +0000https://livingmaxwell.com/?p=1413When I went to Natural Products Expo West earlier this year, I was able to spend three full days there and take my time visiting each booth. I felt good about writing my Best of Show Awards since I was confident that I had seen everything. At this year’s Fancy Food Show at the Jacob […]

]]>When I went to Natural Products Expo West earlier this year, I was able to spend three full days there and take my time visiting each booth. I felt good about writing my Best of Show Awards since I was confident that I had seen everything.

At this year’s Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC, my time was limited to three hours on one day. I did my best to see everything I could but there is no doubt that I missed some things.

A few key takeaways:

– I was stunned by all of the foreign food companies at the show. It seemed that every country from every continent had its own section.

– Organic food did not have its own designated area. I was curious if it would but was informed that with so many companies doing organic, it no longer made logistical sense.

– The energy was very different than at Expo West. This could be a result of Expo West being a smaller show and a unifying passion around organic/natural.

Now, for the most interesting and compelling products that I saw.

RUNA AMAZON GUAYUSA TEA

There seem to be hundreds of organic teas on the market and the first question that pops out of my mouth when I see a new one is “what makes this tea different from all of the other teas?”

1) It is comes from the Amazon in Ecuador and is made from the caffeinated leaves of a native holly tree called guayusa.

2) The tea contains no tannic acids, which eliminates any astringent after-taste that all teas seem to have. This provides for the smoothest taste I’ve ever experienced from a tea.

3) The company sources all of its certified organic product from indigenous farming families and has already raised their incomes by over 25% in less than a year.

An amazing product that is truly impacting the lives of many people in Ecuador. Can it get any better?

AYALA’S HERBAL WATER

Ayala’s Herbal Water is a bottled water drink that is infused with organic herbs. The taste was phenomenal, refreshing and energizing.

I believe this product has the potential to gain some serious traction in the marketplace. It makes so much sense to have a water drink made with incredible herbs and spices.

The company has six flavors — lemongrass mint vanilla, lavender mint, lemon verbena geranium, cloves cardamom cinnamon, cinnamon orange peel and ginger lemon peel. A carbonated version was launched at the show and organic certification for this line is expected later this year.

Such a smart and inventive drink. Really, really well done.

THE TEA ROOM – CHOCOLATE INFUSIONS

I don’t consider myself a chocolate expert by any means but this had one of the most unusual tastes I have come across — chocolate that has been infused by tea.

Ghee has been used in Indian cooking for thousands of years but is not widely used in the U.S. Known as an Indian clarified butter, the health benefits are tremendous – high amounts of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (an antioxidant) and the essential balance of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids.

What makes this Ghee unusual is that it is grass fed. Pure Indian Foods’ ghee is only produced when the cows are outside eating grass and pastured. This means that the company refuses to manufacture its product if the cows are inside, eating grass that has been picked weeks or months before, and/or consuming organic grain.

USDA Organic rules state that organic cows must be outside eating grass for a minimum of 130 days per year. Many big organic dairy farmers put the cows back inside on day 131 so that they can get them back on a diet of grain and force them to live in tight quarters. This helps them grow faster and more inexpensively.

Pure Indian Foods, a family-owned company that has been producing ghee for five generations, buys its milk only from farms that keep the cows outside — not only because the animals can eat the grass directly from the ground but direct sunlight is crucial to the health of the cows (Vitamin D).

The company believes so much in doing things the right way that it only produces its ghee 8 months of the year. The other 4 months are when the cows are inside and ghee-making goes on hold.

It makes such a huge impact on me when I find a company that is so incredibly committed to “beyond” organic. Awesome work!